Smith Lake

Smith Lake earns a D — measurements through 2026 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. Smith Lake is a shallow lake at 5 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. At 85 acres, Smith Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within the 15 graded lakes of Washington County, Smith Lake sits at rank 15, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Smith Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.